Fodor's Expert Review Praça da República

The town's best face is presented in the old streets that radiate from the Praça da República. The most striking building here is the Casa da Misericórdia, an 18th-century almshouse, whose two upper stories are supported, unusually, by tall caryatids (carved, draped female figures). The square's stone fountain, also Renaissance in style, harmonizes perfectly with the surrounding buildings, which include the restored town hall and its lofty arcades.